via RACV. The car needed towing from a friend's steep driveway to the mechanic's. The tow truck driver (I now regret not asking his name) clearly took pride in his work and was so cheerful and friendly that he certainly made an impression - I couldn't stop telling everyone about him. Even when I had to (sheepishly) ask him to retrieve items from the car AFTER he had loaded it onto the tray, he did so very happily - without any of the eyerolling or side comments I was prepared for!!
*I have rated the Value as I am unable to submit this review otherwise, however as it was arranged through RACV I do not know the cost of the actual service.*

We love going to Misty's - it's always a treat for our family. My 6 and 2 year-old boys are always welcome and love the food. My husband and I love that we can order corndogs and ask for root beer floats and people know what we're talking about!!

Misty is great and is super accommodating. My younger son has food allergies and Misty goes out of her way to prepare special meals to cater to his needs. This is probably the ONLY restaurant where they would be happy to do this!!

We never leave without buying Pop Tarts or Hershey's syrup either!!

Looking forward to our next visit!!

Approximate cost: $12-14

My husband and I had a night off from our young children and were looking forward to a good meal before attending a Christmas party nearby. It had been years since I ate at La Camera and just wanted comfort food.

The waitress who welcomed us was pleasant and gave us options for seating. This was pretty much the last we saw of her. An older, surly gentleman then took our drinks orders. When I asked if it was possible to order a cocktail without alcohol, I was answered with a "Yeah, but the price is still the same." I didn't ask whether it was going to cost the same with or without alcohol. Said cocktail was also quite bitter, and definitely not worth the $13 paid.

My husband ordered a Spaghetti Pescatore which he said was OK but nothing to write home about, while I ordered the Chicken Campagnola (chicken breast with napolitana sauce and spinach atop mashed potato - it sounded good and comforting!) The spaghetti was nice, and the seafood looked fresh. The chicken was another story. The sauce had watered and this was what surrounded the mashed potato - tomato water. The chicken was tough and bland. It didn't look appetising, and tasted average. Nothing special there.

We skipped dessert, but ordered a coffee. I'm not too fussy with coffee, but I couldn't drink the flat white I had ordered. It was lukewarm at best, the coffee tasted "old" and it was terrible. I thought perhaps being an Italian restaurant I could get a good coffee.

We decided to finally give up on our dinner and asked for the bill - once again it proved to be an inconvenience to the unsmiling waiter (yet another one) that we had asked him to fetch something for us.

A very disappointing experience and the unfriendliest service we have ever encountered - I had told my husband (who hadn't dined there before) that it was an institution and how great it was that it was still there after all these years. We walked out wondering WHY it was still there, and wishing we'd eaten elsewhere.

Approximate cost: $20

Country Road clothes are generally of good quality and many pieces are affordable. I especially like the Childrenswear because of the styles and the price points. I consider myself a regular buyer, and take advantage of the various cardholder events throughout the year.

What I don't particularly like is the service in the Camberwell store, specifically the Riversdale Road (main) entrance. For the most part I find the store attendants disinterested and snooty, especially in the womenswear section. On many occasions I have asked for help with sizing etc and encountered unfriendly sales staff at the main entrance. I can only remember one instance when a friendly sales attendant assisted me (last Christmas, and she may have been a casual).

In contrast, the staff in the Childrenswear/Homeware section are lovely and extremely helpful. I find myself collecting items from womenswear, shoes, menswear and completing my transactions on the other side of the store to spare myself the dour attitude from the Riversdale Rd side. For good selections, I find the larger Chadstone store to have more stock.

I hope other customers have a better experience than I have had at this store.

My first experience with Surrey Panelcare was with a new car I purchased upon returning to Melbourne from living overseas. Someone drove into it while it was parked in Carlton during a celebratory lunch ... only 3 hours old and straight from the dealership. Surrey Panelcare did an excellent repair - my husband, who sees the smallest dents in cars, could not tell.

And because he sees the smallest dents in cars, we have brought our other cars in for minor repairs (such as supermarket trolley dings), as well as one major repair after a crash. We were treated well and the repairs carried out to a high standard on all occasions.

The service is prompt and friendly, and as it's a family business customers are well looked-after. On one occasion the steering on our car was not quite right after accident repairs had been carried out. I realised this during the drive home and was not comfortable with it, so I called Surrey Panelcare, and they asked me to return so that the problem could be rectified, even after they had closed for the day. With anyone else I probably would've been told to come back the next day.

We have been going to Penang Coffee House for years for family meals since I was in my teens- way back when it was in its previous location opposite the Hawthorn Town Hall.

Meals are consistent and mostly well-priced. Although I find both dishes a little on the pricey side, the mixed satay with the amazing peanut sauce and the authentic beef rendang are hard to pass up. In saying that, you do get a lot of beef/chicken in the servings. They also make a mean laksa and char kuay teow. I also love their dessert with coconut milk and tapioca/sago. I think it's called Gula Melaka.

The dining experience in their new, larger location (corner Henry St) is not as intimate as their previous restaurant, which I loved the feel of -- but I'm not complaining, as now I eat there with my own young family without hassle. We love the fact that we are still greeted by Sharon and Mandy even after a long absence - that personal touch goes a long way.

Approximate cost: $12-14